On Sunday December 11th, more than 100 community members attended the AYF South Bays Holiday Breakfast fundraiser. The goal of the breakfast was to raise funds for an upcoming campaign the AYF is dedicating to Artsakh, as well as to collect canned food for local families in need.

Marine Karapetyan, an Executive member of the South Bay chapter, gave the opening remarks where she said that the objective of the fundraiser is to sponsor a project in Armenia every year, and this year, they decided to join the AYFs efforts to assist those who fought in the Artsakh war.

“The AYF Central Executive will be focusing its energies in 2012 on Artsakh and the brave men and women who continue to put their lives on the line for its independence, explains AYF Central Executive chairperson David Arakelyan. As part of our campaign, we will be organizing a series of events to both raise awareness and help raise funds. We hope that Armenian communities across Western America will join us the same way the South Bay community supported their local chapter’s efforts this Sunday.”

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

On Saturday, December 3rd, high school students, Armenian Youth Federation volunteers, and noted guest speakers took part in the AYFs second annual Armenian Youth Leadership Workshop.

The workshop, which was organized by the AYF in partnership with the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD), brought together ambitious students from both public and private Armenian high schools. The primary goal of the workshop was to help develop skills in social media and outreach, so students can build strong networks on and off campus, promote their projects and events, recruit better, and be more effective leaders in their respective Armenian clubs. The second goal in mind was to connect these students with one another, with the hopes that they will support each others endeavors and work together in the future.

The event kicked off with an inspiring speech by GUSD Board of Education President, Greg Krikorian, on the ever growing importance of organizing meaningful events and club activities to Armenian and non-Armenian circles alike. He began by asking each participant to introduce themselves by one of their grandparents last names, then discussed the importance of effective leadership, and closed by stressing how this commitment is a means of honoring the legacy of their grandparents and the sacrifices they made to give their grandchildren better lives.

Following this motivational opening, the first workshop was conducted by Raffi Kassabian, a former student leader and current lecturer at UCLA, as well as a longtime activist in the community. Drawing from his many past experiences, Raffis presentation focused on skills such as being proactive as opposed to reactive, improving member recruitment, utilizing media and publicity, keeping organizational memory through archiving methods, and building relationships with other on-campus organizations. The students paid close attention and took notes as Raffi shared stories of his successes and personal experiences at UCLA.

During the lunch break, participants sat in mixed groups intermingling with one another and exchanging views on several of the points raised by the speakers. Many found the opportunity to interact as productive as the workshop itself. Each table featured healthy, organic discussions about the common problems students face in their campus organizations, and how they might overcome them. Students, AYF members and guest speakers all shared their insights and experiences with one another. The lunch break went on longer than scheduled due these lively and productive conversations.

The next speaker at the event was Allen Yekikian, the past Assistant Editor and Online Media Director of Asbarez News, and current Chief Technology Officer at Operation Hope. His presentation highlighted the historic role social media has played in the civil and national movements of the Armenian people. He outlined the way Armenians from all around the world used the new media of their day to create a common national identity and spread awareness of the Armenian Cause in the minds of Armenians everywhere. He argued that the Armenian people were at the forefront of the technological frontier, using things like the printing press to educate, motivate, and activate a movement which eventually resulted in the establishment of an independent Armenian Republic. He also discussed how we can learn from our tech-savvy ancestors by using all the technology at our disposal today  everything from blogs, to YouTube, to Facebook and Twitter  to make our message go viral.

After all the presentations, the students were divided into three groups and each was given a task. The groups had twenty five minutes to come up with strategies for recruitment of new members, fundraising aid for a sister city, and hosting an Artsakh Independence celebration, respectively. Using the skills they had learned from the workshops all three groups developed very impressive presentations, demonstrating their ability in organization and creativity.

When the event ended, the students were eager to continue their own meetings elsewhere, which meant the goal of connecting these Armenian youth, had been accomplished. The skills they learned at this workshop will hopefully help them in their campus lives, and later in their volunteer/organizational and professional work as well.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

“Armenia and Artsakh belong to us and we must be active participants in the nation building process, whether we live in the Diaspora or the homeland, she explained. We hope that by doing so, we expand the resources available to make economic progress possible and better geared to benefit our people.”

This year marked the 14th anniversary of the Armenia Fund Telethon. Over the course of Armenia Funds overall 18 year history, the organization has implemented over $200 million worth of development projects throughout Armenia and Artsakh.

“Armenia Fund is the most tangible and transparent way for us as a community and as a nation to work together toward physically rebuilding the homeland,” said Allen Yekikian, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive body. “From building schools and hospitals to laying roads and waterways, Armenia Fund is on the ground in Armenia and Artsakh channeling the resources of our global nation into a focused endeavor to secure the future of our people.”

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

Connect with Armenia Fund by following their blog at blog.armeniafund.org, to get project updates and to view photos and videos of the progress being made.

More than 200 youth from 10 AYF chapters descended upon La Quinta for the 38th annual AYF Olympics. Held over Thanksgiving weekend and hosted by the Hollywood Musa Dagh chapter, the annual olympiad is a tradition many anticipate in the 75-year old organization founded by Armenian national hero, General Karekin Njdeh.

The weekends focus is uniting AYF members in an atmosphere of friendly competition under the organizations athletic and social pillars. The festivities kicked off on Friday night with the Hollywood Hookup event, which gave members an opportunity to mingle with people from other chapters.

Olympics is a unique opportunity for the entire AYF family to come together for a weekend of camaraderie, catching up with old friends and making new ones, explains San Francisco AYF member Raffi Senekeremian. Personally, after participating in AYF Youth Corps, this was the first time our group was able to reunite and reminisce about our Youth Corps days. As a distant chapter, it tends to be difficult for us to participate with most of the AYF events that take place in the LA Area, but Olympics serves as a venue for distant chapters to be one with the LA Area chapters for a weekend of fun and competition.

The annual AYF Olympics are hosted by a different chapter each year, with the Hollywood chapter hosting this years sports weekend. Having the opportunity to host AYF Olympics usually happens to an AYF member only once in their organizational lifetime, notes Hollywood Musa Dagh member Carina Khanjian. This weekend of competition truly demonstrates the fraternal bond AYF members have with one another, as well as their welcoming attitude to non-AYF members who attended the weekend festivities.

While planning and organizing the weekend, the Hollywood Olympics committee came to realize the importance of working with sister organizations in the larger Armenian community. We are truly grateful to the Los Angeles Chapter Homenetmen and the Western Region Homenetmen for donating their time and equipment and helping make the tournaments a success, Khanjian added.

The weekends events took place at the Embassy Suites Hotel with some of the games being played on hotel grounds while others were held at the nearby La Quinta community park. The tournament began Saturday morning with a friendly dodge-ball competition between chapters. The Orange County Ashod Yergat chapter, with their dodge-ball themed t-shirts claimed first place. In the afternoon and into the evening hours, chapters vied for first place in the soccer and basketball tournaments. The San Fernando Valley Sardarabad chapter was victorious in soccer while the Pasadena Nigol Touman chapter triumphed in basketball.

Its great to see all of our hard work paid off, says Pasadena Nigol Touman member Kevork Abrahamian. We practiced as a team on a weekly basis and were very excited to win first place.

After a long day of competition, participants attended the Bright Lights, Hollywood Nights black tie event.
During the day I enjoyed competing against my friends, especially my former AYF Camp counselors, and the dance at night was a great way to end the weekend, says Crescenta Valley Zartonk member Nina Amirian. It brought us all together for one last time, until next year.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

Over a hundred Armenian college students, parents, and community activists, young and old flocked to UCLA’s Perloff Auditorium last Thursday, December 1st, curious and unsure of what to expect from the night’s feature “Grandma’s Tattoos”, a new documentary which tells the fate of Armenian women abducted and forced into prostitution after surviving the deportations and massacres of the Armenian genocide.

The event was a collaborative effort between the Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) at UCLA, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), and Asbarez Newspaper. Also present at the screening was the film’s Armenian-Swedish director Suzanne Khardalian.

“Grandma’s Tattoos” is not your typical Armenian genocide documentary. “Most genocide documentaries take either a historical or political approach. ’Grandma’s Tattoos’ is different because it tells the story of genocide on a personal and individual level, which actually makes a stronger impact on the viewer,” says Mary Zaghikian, second year Political Science major and Cultural Director of the ASA at UCLA.

The film uncovers the mystery behind evil looking tattoos inked on Khardalian’s grandmother’s hands, taking the viewer on a journey from crowded Beirut streets to the barren graveyard that is the Der Zor desert. Khardalian eventually discovers the tattoos meant her grandmother was owned in a brothel, and lived life as a prostitute in the years after escaping death during the Genocide.

After 1915, thousands of young Armenian women were taken captive and forced into prostitution across Syria, the prostitution capital of the world at the time. Her grandmother’s story, and the story of countless other women remained untold because of the taboo-like nature surrounding their lives.

“This documentary succeeds in wrestling the veil off of one of the most inhuman and tragic aspects of the Genocide,” says Serouj Aprahamian, Executive Director of the AYF-WR. “The widespread abduction and forced prostitution of untold numbers of young Armenian women is another one of the many brutal acts committed in the attempt to annihilate our nation. We must raise awareness about such horrors, both to heal our own wounds as a community and to carry on the struggle to attain justice and end the cycle of genocide plaguing humanity.”

A vibrant and enlightening question and answer session, led by Khardalian, followed the screening. Members of the audience, many of whom were moved to tears during the film, expressed how shocked they were to have never heard of such a story and experiences.

The night ended on a profound note as many in the audience realized that their own grandparents had similar tattoos; the documentary had caused some to only just understand the meaning behind them.

“Grandma’s Tattoos”, by uncovering yet another dark and gruesome facet of the Genocide, demonstrates the ripple effect which can still be felt today, 95 years after the fact. The history, the memories, and the trauma leave a stain on our existence like the tattoos on Khardalian’s grandmothers hands. Though they are reminders of the evil humanity is capable of, they also attest to the power and perseverance of the human will to rebound from it all.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

In the spirit of the holidays, the Armenian Youth Federation Glendale Roupen Chapter and the San Fernando Valley Sardarabad Chapter are reaching out to the community for help with their Annual Clothing Drive.

Last year, an unprecedented 5000 pounds of clothing was sent to Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk through the non-profit organization, Paros Lighthouse, who graciously shipped and distributed the clothing at no cost.This year we are hoping to set a new record and need your help in doing so.

Please donate new or lightly used clothing to Armenian Youth Federations Clothing Drive. Your donation will ensure children and adults in Armenia stay warm during the winter this year, and for seasons to come.Please drop off all clothing items at the following locations by January 10th. Further locations will be announced in the coming days.

If you have questions about the drop off locaations or have any general concerns, you may contact the AYF at (818) 507-1933 or email the chapters at: roupen@ayfwest.org Glendale Roupen Chapter or sardarabad@ayfwest.org Valley Sardarabad Chapter.

The Glendale and Valley Chapters thank you in advance for your support and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

On Saturday November 5th, the ARF Western Region Badanees held their annual Quiz Bowl. Hosted in the city of Glendale by its Badanegan and AYF members, the event drew in over 180 participants. Verginie Toulumian, an AYF member and judge said of the event, this is a great opportunity for the Badanees to not only see each other and make friends, but more importantly to engage in their history.

Badanees from all across Southern California including the cities of Pasadena, La Cresenta, Glendale, Burbank, Montebello, South Valley, North Valley, Orange County and South Bay practiced and studied for months to prepare for the event. Paul Iskajyan, a Badanee from Montebello states, we had weeks of educational and presentations to prepare for the event, we did study a lot, but we were with friends and we all looked forward to competing.

The questions for the quiz bowl were centered around the formation of the first and second Republics of Armenia. Questions such as Who were the four Prime Minister during Armenias first Republic? and What do the colors on the Armenian flag represent? were asked. After almost three hours of competition and interaction the winners were announced. The first, second, and third placed winners were Burbank, Pasadena, and North Valley respectively.

Palig Kodjanian, member of the Glendale Badanegan Committee and judge for the event stated, the winning chapters answered 59, 58, and 56 questions out of 60 correctly, highlighting the impressive depth and wealth of knowledge the Badanees contained. Kevork Baghdasarian, a competing Badanee said, it was really fun and I cant wait till next year!

Through events such as the Quiz Bowl, the ARF Badanegan brings Armenian youth together to interact, engage, and build an appreciation for their history.
The Badanegan chapters also held their trophy ceremony for the Olympics they participated in a month ago. They will also be holding their annual Badanegan camp on the 17th, 18th , and 19th of February.

Ani and Maro are two friends who met in Armenia and proceeded to have wild adventures together. At times they have dared called themselves archeologists, sociologists, modern-day explorers, gastro-bloggers and socialites. Today they merely call themselves freelancers (read: uninsured). These are a few of their favorite things:

Soviet choo choo: Head South down Mesrop Mashtots Ave and turn right after you pass Arami St. After a stroll through the old park with its defunct concrete fountains, a long graffiti-covered tunnel will lead you to Hrazdan Gorge. Head left as you exit the tunnel, travel past old carousels and walk down some stairs on the right and, as if from a dream, a Soviet-era children’s choo choo train will reveal itself in the distance. Hang out along the river here and watch underwear-clad local elderly gents as they swim in the river. That mysterious coke bottle they offer you is probably filled with homemade vodka, so beware.

Opera Square: Have a cup of the cheapest (and best) Armenian coffee in town at Cafe Meghedi, or sample the Beef Stroganoff (not the best…in fact, avoid it). Oftentimes there are concerts and events held in Opera Square, and it is also a favorite gathering spot for opposition protesters.

Attend a Soccer Game:Now that Armenia has a winning team (Ireland, we’ll get you next time), come out and show your support. You won’t see these boys taking cigarette breaks at halftime and you’ll be amazed to see them actually pass the ball. The excitement in the stadium is infectious and you will learn what hoop tur really means.

Roof and Cafe of the National Gallery: After a quick stop to see the world’s oldest shoe, head upstairs to the National Picture Gallery and check out works by Hovhannes Aivasovsky, Vardges Surenyants and Gevorg Bashinjaghyan. Then walk out onto the roof on the ninth floor and enjoy a unique view of Yerevan from above. The cafe there is usually empty and is a quiet place, sit and have coffee, and be ignored by the staff.

Vernissage and Cafeteria: Vernissage is an open-air bazaar where you can find anything from puppies to fine china. We personally enjoy Vernissage when it’s cold out and the sidewalks arecovered in a thick layer of black ice, but to each her own. Don’t miss the cheapest meal you can probably find anywhere in the world at the Vernissage cafeteria. It’s an unmarked, unnamed spot just off the bazaar on Aram St., and to the best of our knowledge the vendors also store paintings there. Half the fun is in finding the place, follow the scent of vodka and dolma or ask a ruddy art vendor for directions. The proprietress will offer you The Greasiest Comfort Food Ever.

Markets beneath Barekamutyun Metro and in the alley on Tigran Metz Ave on the left after the man who makes hats:Ani’s favorite gift for Maro has always been oversized underwear printed with glittery poetry and there are only a few spots to find just the right ones. At either of these markets you’ll be able to pick up a kebab and have your watch fixed all while selecting non-stick cookware and an Adibas sports-bag.

Juice Stand in Sakharov Square:Fresh juices in Armenia are simply called “fresh”. This spot is usually only open in the summer and serves the best fresh this side of Vernissage. Watch out for inferior, flashier imitations.

Pak Shuka (Covered Market) and Blue Mosque: Head to the back of the covered market to meet the tuti oghi vendor who will have you sample his wares in a back room with basterma hanging from the ceiling. Please be aware that you will be in close proximity of the spice lady who will insist on you taking one or several of her favorite mixes. Exit the market and cross the street to visit the beautiful 18th century Blue Mosque.

Parpetsi: Enjoy the night life on Ghazar Parpetsi St. Start off with a coffee and a crepe at Gemini, then continue on to check out the atmospheres at various local bars including 26, D.I.Y, Metro Music and Rock Bar. Take a break for a burger at newly opened Factory and stop in to hear a jam at Syncopat on Pushkin where you can join in if you’re feeling brave. Continue down Pushkin to check out the vibe at Calumet and Beatles, and finish on Saryan at Tro’s Pub with a game of foosball.

Master Levon’s Cave: Only in Armenia can a request from your wife to dig a potato pit result in a twenty-year quest to dig a cave by hand. The resulting wonder is 21 meters deep and spans 300 meters, a glorious cavern that is testament to one man’s vision. Located in Arinj Village.

Stop Club: The best place to hear rock music in Yerevan.

Sasuntsi Davit train station: Make use of new digital screens to catch a train to Gyumri, Lake Sevan, Tbilisi or other places from this beautiful Soviet-era train station. On longer train rides, please note hidden charges like pillow cases and be prepared for a stern knock on your door at 4am for passport control.

Old Houses in Yerevan: Search for Yerevan’s past in the areas near Northern Avenue and off Amiryan St. between Abovyan St. and Mashtots Ave. These homes are quickly disappearing and they are definitely worth a visit.

Luna Park: A psychedelic Soviet-era amusement park where you can lose your life on a roller coaster while watching a Rabiz singer and eating popcorn. If you want to take your beer on the Ferris wheel they won’t check your bag. Don’t miss the Haunted House where your only fear is that you may trip because there is not a stitch of light in the place.

Is it edible? While traveling through Armenia we suggest that you expand your culinary horizons. Visit different restaurants, don’t be afraid to point to and order random things off the menu. Go ahead, dip some dried lavash into a steaming bowl of khash (cow knuckle soup) and chase it down with a shot of vodka, your life will never be the same.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when you’re feeling sad…go do something crazy with your friends in Armenia. Stop by Cafe Meghedi for a coffee, maybe you’ll run into Ani and Maro and they can tell you about the time they ate questionable kebab and got sick in Abovyan. But trust us on the Beef Stroganoff.